On Aug. 12,
Jordan
will be here as part the second annual Provincetown Jazz Festival.
Some areas
of her now-abandoned suburban New
Orleans neighborhood received up to 13 inches of
water. "My house had 8 feet," says Jordan. Her family home of 37 years
was completely devastated and has to be completely gutted, rewired and rebuilt.
The musical family includes flutist Kent, trumpeter Marlon, and violinist
Rachel. Trumpeter and frequent collaborator, brother Marlon Jordan lost his
house (and was airlifted off his roof); violinist sister Rachel's (professor of
music at Jackson State) roof was blown off. Her other
sister, Christie, the family archivist, lost her home as well. Uncle Maynard
Chatter's home survived; her other uncle Alvin Baptiste's New Orleans home did not. In Jordan's
immediate and extended family alone, between 20-25 houses are gone, all
relatives are dispersed around the country. She adds, "It's a beautiful
community. We all hope to go back."
"When
folks think of Hurricane Katrina, they need to understand the devastation of a
community as it affects families. Our story is one of many stories, and it's
more than a loss of a house or home - it's the loss of a community, a loss of a
way of life," says Jordan.
For generations, the Jordan
family has been making music, their primary source of income. Her father,
saxophonist Edward "Kidd" Jordan,
teaches at Southern University in New
Orleans. "Our main industry is gone. Since we're
musicians, my Dad's University has been shut down for the first time
ever." The university did reopen, but the music department is literally
history. Jordan's
father is the only person remaining.
"For
many hurt by Katrina, it is not just about surviving the storm and rebuilding
their houses; they must address quality of life issues. Rebuilding our
cherished historical American city, New
Orleans, is a political priority. The 'guts' of jazz
are gleaned from basic human experience, and the city's vital importance as a
cultural and jazz Mecca
impacts all of us, even if we have not lost our homes. Over 400,000 residents
are gone, and the majority of these are African Americans. New
Orleans without the African American community is not New Orleans." Jordan says.
"For me to no longer have access to my family and other musicians, it
changes my perspective. I have been blessed with a lot and I took it for
granted. I realize how incredible these musicians are -- to not be able to
visit certain communities and not have jam sessions is heart-breaking. I need
to be out here telling our story through music.
Jordan just finished performing with
brother Marlon and Rachel at The Kennedy Center in July. She held her own with
vocalists Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and others in Blue Note
Records' Higher Ground CD, a historic evening mounted by Winton Marsalis that
documents the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert, which took place in the
Rose Hall Theater at Jazz at Lincoln
Center last September.
The whole Jordan
music family is featured on the CD, and all proceeds from Higher Ground go to
displaced Katrina musicians. Stephanie collaborates with brother Marlon on her
acclaimed CD "You Don't Know What Love Is."
At the Provincetown
Jazz Festival, Stephanie will sing a song by one of her favorite artists, the
great Abbey Lincoln, called "Throw it Away." For many people, music
is an instant mood-changer. The right music soothes a savage day, inspires, or
open us up to love; and for those touched by Katrina, music is not just a
luxury but a necessity. "Music in general helps me cope," adds Jordan.
"When I looked around and had to take account of what I physically own, I
had my duffel bag, my nine-year-old son, and I had my voice. I could sing
myself to sleep after I cried."
Jordan's family is not only known for
their enchanting music, but also for their mouth-watering soul food. One of the
final remnants of her pre-Katrina life was her grandma's famous recipes.
"I had her recipes in my head, and my songs in my heart," says
Stephanie. She adds, "When I first settled into my apartment, I found
myself making lots of grand mama's stuffed bell peppers and potato salad."
Jordan's smoky vocals have been described
as "silk-between-the-fingers" and fans liken her to Carmen McCrae and
Lena Horne. Jazz critic Eugene Holly writes, "Stephanie's tone and diction
combine Nancy Wilson's razor-sharp diction and phrasing with Shirley Horn's
economy." Jordan's
message when she performs is one of empowerment for women. "I feel my
mission in jazz is to play to the higher [road] on earth, and create other
positive experiences for people. We are in so much need of positive
energy!"
In spite of
what would and has destroyed many people's spirits, Jordan is hopeful. "I'm a firm
believer that these experiences are temporary. The trials don't last forever.
It is going to shape us and make us better, if we allow it to."
